Taper Fade Lengths and Styling Guides

The length on top decides how much of the taper anyone actually sees. A buzz cut makes the blend the entire haircut; shoulder-length hair reduces it to something you only notice when the hair is tied back. Most disappointment comes from mismatching the two.

These guides work through the range — buzz cuts and guard numbers, short and medium crops, long hair over a taper — and the styling that holds each one together day to day. The boys' guides sit here too, since length and school rules tend to be the deciding factor rather than texture.